Chill the bird seed ball in the freezer for 2 hours, or chill outdoors if your climate is cold. Chilling solidifies the seed balls so they're less fragile and easier to hang.

Making seed balls isn't an exact science, but the overall composition is important. Bové suggests a 3:2:1 ratio of clay to soil to seeds to prevent overcrowding once the seeds germinate.

In the fall, once the balls are dried and brown, each of the many ovaries making up them up will split open, releasing one or two tiny, hard seeds. Birds like them.

To plant 1 square foot, you need about one-half an ounce; to make 10 wildflower seed balls, ... Casting wildflower seeds works but leaves seeds available to birds and small mammals.

Mix seeds and compost together. Mix in the dry clay. Add enough water to make a firm ball the size of a large marble. Let seed balls dry for a few days. Distribute 10 balls per square meter of ground.

Check out the video above for easy ways to make bird seed balls and window clings that can be used to help the birds avoid flying into glass. How the Houston Zoo is taking action to save animals ...